Hello World…

Posted March 9th, 2011 in Ume and Baby, Ume's Pregnancy 14 Comments »

Meet my first baby – he was born on March 4, 11 days before the due date.  2980 g / 49 cm

In the morning on 3rd (a day before delivery) I thought my water was leaking, so I called my OB and went to hospital to check.  It was not water from my uterus (it was just pee!) and I went back home.  But, around 7PM I had a huge gush of clear water come out while watching tv in the living room.  There was no doubt that my water had definitely broken.

I called hospital and went there with my hospital bag.  At the labour ward, midwives checked the water and confirmed that it was the water from my uterus.  I was 2 cm dilated.  There was little blood too.  They put something on my belly to check baby’s heartbeats and contractions.  It was around 8PM.

According to the monitor I was having mild contractions, but they weren’t painful.  I was thinking “maybe I can cope with the contraction pain without any pain relief”, but it started to be stronger around 9PM past.  It was like heavy period pain (I have very heavy period pain and the contraction was exactly like that).  Luckily D had asked midwives that I’d need epidural (we had talked about it earlier and he remembered it), and anesthesiologist was on the way.  By the time she arrived my room, the pain was super – I couldn’t talk and had to squeeze D’s hands every 2 minutes.  After the anesthesiologist explained all the risks and side effects of epidural to me, she inserted the needle on my back.  I was given IV by a midwife too, so there was a thick needle on my left wrist and a thin tube on my back.

Thanks to the epidural, the pain was gone few minutes later.  Around midnight, D and I fell asleep until 2:30AM.  I was awakened by the contraction pain.  I told midwife about it and I was hoping that she would top up more epidural to ease the pain, but she was worried that too much epidural might make me have no feeling when I have to push the baby.  She checked my cervix, and it was about 7~8 cm dilated.  She topped up with 10 ml of epidural first.

The 10ml didn’t make much difference.  The pain was not around my tummy, but around my bottom.  It was like a huge pressure around my anus – as if I was holding a big poop or gas.  Midwife told me “it’s not a poop, it’s a baby!”.  She told me NOT to push it.  It was really big pressure and having to hold it was quite hard.  I told midwife that it’s very painful – she checked with my OB and topped-up with more epidural.   My OB was on the way around this time.

The OB arrived just before 4AM, and he checked that my cervix was fully dilated.  Since the pain around my bottom was not as strong as before (because of the epidural top-up), OB and midwife assisted me when to push.  I tried to push when they told me to – no pain, but I could feel something was coming down.  I pushed 3 times on each contraction, and after several times I knew my baby was out!  First, a head, then shoulders… two big pressure (pain?).  It was 4:16AM.

Now I have my baby on my arms.  I can’t believe he was inside my belly, and my pregnancy was over.  He is the same person as the one I saw on the screen at my first ultrasound test.

His head is already covered with dark black hair.  I am so happy that he was born without any complication and unhealthy condition.  Now I’ve been super busy with this totally new life cycle.  As a first time mum, everything is new (I’ve never changed a diaper before) and I’m leaning bit by bit each day….


14 Comments on “Hello World…”

  1. 1 Hayley said at 7:14 am on March 9th, 2011:

    Congratulations to the whole family! Your baby is so beautiful! (And he shares a birthday with me, too!)

  2. 2 umepontarou said at 10:35 am on March 10th, 2011:

    Thanks everyone!! 🙂

  3. 3 Mark said at 7:29 am on March 9th, 2011:

    Congratulations on the baby l bet everyone in the family is excited about the new arrival and l assume your mother is on her way from Japan for a visit to view the first grandchild

  4. 4 John said at 10:30 am on March 9th, 2011:

    Congratulations! Your description of giving birth was brilliant!

  5. 5 YL said at 11:48 am on March 9th, 2011:

    Congratulations!!! Your baby is soo cute! 🙂

  6. 6 achan said at 12:30 pm on March 9th, 2011:

    Congratulations! Your little boy is gorgeous.
    Now your new life begins as a mother…there’s no turning back.
    Enjoy every minute and treasure every smile

  7. 7 Anna said at 1:26 pm on March 9th, 2011:

    Congratulations Ume and well-done!! He is gorgeous! Have you named him yet? His birthday is the day after my little girl’s 🙂
    Take care and rest well.

  8. 8 Ladybird said at 4:57 pm on March 9th, 2011:

    Congratulations Ume! He is adorable! 😀

  9. 9 Megan said at 12:41 pm on March 10th, 2011:

    Congratulations Ume & D!!
    You new, little man looks perfect!
    I loved your ‘birth story’ – made me laugh and cry!
    I’m so happy for you all!

  10. 10 umepontarou said at 5:11 pm on March 11th, 2011:

    Megn,

    Thank you 🙂 🙂 🙂

  11. 11 L said at 11:31 am on March 14th, 2011:

    Hi! i happened to stumble upon ur blog while reading up Japan’s sad disaster..and scrolled down to see that you’ve recently given birth to a baby boy! Congratulations! my sis just gave birth to a baby girl too last thursday.
    indeed it’s a very terrifying situation in Japan. my heartfelt sympathy to all affected.
    and all the best with your little one! ^^

  12. 12 umepontarou said at 7:21 pm on March 15th, 2011:

    Thanks, L 🙂

  13. 13 Moorey said at 1:54 pm on March 18th, 2011:

    Congrats ume! He’s a cute baby boy!

  14. 14 umepontarou said at 11:12 pm on March 20th, 2011:

    Thanks Moorey! 🙂


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